Kelly Galloup’s personality is as vibrant and electric as a bag of smelling salts. He’s as raw and beautiful as my tarpon brothers in Homosassa. All this energy is exemplified by how he aggressively pursued the truth about streamers and how to fish them. Often he would submerge himself underwater and silently drift down the river examining where th…

Brian O'Keefe was a man born to be free of any kind of structure and fishing was the caveat to keep him running to the end of the rainbow where the best fishing holes lay. I recognize this because I have the same life text book which reads; ski, fish, eat, sleep! Seeing a photograph of him in his early life, upside down on a Powder Magazine cover, …

Bob Rich is a giant in the world of fly fishing, conservation, and storytelling. I have known Bob for many years and he is the best fishing companion an angler could have. We have traveled the world together with President George H.W. Bush, Sandy Moret, Johnny Morris and countless others fishing destinations only one can dream of. Bob was a Bonefis…

Heroes come in all forms and sizes. Most common are star athletes, television sensations, and our children who turn out to be wonderful people and future parents… A list of heroes can be endless but a hero has to be someone who moves you greatly like a celebrity who has influenced a generation. On todays podcast, Brad Probst, a hero of ours shares …

With his exceptional physical and intellectual scope, Carlos Duncan is one of the most impressive people I’ve ever known. He’s not only a Harvard graduate, he qualified for the World Championships in the Ironman, manages his families business, flies his own plane, hunts with a bow and is one of the finest Tarpon slayers the Florida Keys has ever kn…

Tim Heng loves fishing, especially the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan rivers near Basalt, Colorado. He’s spent a large part of his life fishing them, loving them, and trying to preserve them for his fellow anglers. His efforts over the years were so compelling he was honored by the Roaring Fork Conservancy as the Conservator of the Year, the highest h…

Jim Hancock is one of the finest people you’ll ever meet and one of the hardest working, too! I’ve know Jimmy a very long time, from Aspen of course, where he started working for the Aspen Ski Company in 1977. He worked in many fields for them: snowmaker, powder guide, instructor, race director, and by 1981 he’d proven himself to take on enormous r…

Bert Scherb's journey from Chicago to becoming a beloved figure among the guides and anglers of the Florida Keys, as well as chairman of a prestigious bonefish tournament, is a testament to his passion and dedication to the sport. His 21-year tenure running the spring bonefish tournament reflects not only his organizational skills but also his deep…

Capt. Aaron Snell embodies the spirit of exploration and innovation in fly fishing as well as conventional fishing. With a soft-spoken demeanor that belies his deep knowledge of the waters around Key West, Florida, Aaron is renowned for his unconventional approach and keen intellect on the water. Born and raised in the heart of Florida's fishing co…

Drew Moret is a highly acclaimed skiff guide and the son of fishing legend, Sandy Moret. You can only imagine his childhood growing up with that DNA in the Sport Fishing Capital of the world, Islamorada, Florida. Sandy’s friends are the who’s who in the flats fishing game; Steve Huff, Flip Pallot, Chico Fernandez, Stu Apte, Billy Knowles, and many …

Thane Morgan has earned the right to be called one of the greatest tarpon fly anglers of our time. Although, no one wins alone, ever. Thane Morgan and his guide, Dustin Huff, have been a highly successful team in pursuit of a 4 pound world record tarpon and winning the biggest tarpon tournaments in the world. They won the Gold Cup twice and set a t…

Jake Jordan is a legendary figure in the blue water world. He is neither humble nor reserved when he speaks about his exploits over his six plus decades of catching tarpon, marlin and sailfish; we’re talking incredible numbers here. He prides himself with a technique he refined that has proven itself to many anglers that chase billfish. He’s not a …

On board for this podcast, is a man that has lived fully in many forms; dentist, angler, artist, and as a free spirit that many only dream of doing successfully. Yes, Fred Troxel has excelled profoundly at all of these. Many know him as a highly professional dentist that has worked bare footed for years. Oxymoron? No, because working close to Key W…

Capt. Andy Thompson is, in my book, one of the greatest people you’ll ever have the pleasure of knowing, both on and off the water. He’s soft spoken, but his words carry incredible weight. Why?Because he’s truthful, genuine, and his integrity is gold! He’s also one of the greatest guides in the game. Andy grew up in Miami and at a very young age gr…

Capt. Al Dopirak is arguably the best fishing guide to ever chase world record tarpon! He and Tom Evans have put more big tarpon in their boat than anyone. Records are meant to be broken but their 194.5 lb tarpon on 12 pound test is beyond imagination, well mine anyway! They also caught a 190.5 lb tarpon on 16 pound test that broke Billy Pate’s 188…

I have fished with many superstar guides throughout my career. Many were on my hit list for years before seeing that day on their bow, but there was one whose boat I never made it on and he was as famous as anyone, Butch Constable! Butch doesn’t just fish his water around Jupiter, he plays it like Hendrix did with his guitar. Inside and out he know…

Rachel Finn is a fearless, free spirit that everyone loves. After attending Yale University in graduate school, she followed her heart and began guiding up in the Adirondacks some 30 years ago. Rachel is also a wonderful artist, friend, and inspiration to never grow up and never stop chasing your passions. Finn is a well-known presence in the Adiro…

As a 21 year old Vietnam veteran, Bob Popovics gravitated to fly fishing for striped bass and the people who chased them from shore. These guys became his family and the collective passion became a maelstrom for the north east striper fishermen. The power behind this fish was real and in 1965 a fishing club called the Salt Water Fly Rodders of Amer…

Capt. Sarah Gardner has been a full time fishing guide for over 27 years. Along with her husband, Capt. Brian Horsley, they are the go to guides for fly fishing in the area surrounding Outer Banks, NC. Sarah & Brian both run 23 foot Jones Brother boats and target Cobia, Redfish, False Albacore, Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, & Sharks on the fly. After…

Having growing up in Marathon, Florida with the Gulf Stream at his front door and world class flats everywhere he looked, George's playground was a fisherman's dream. It was the ultimate adventure park he’d take full advantage of. His bus ride to school had other kids that loved to fish, too, like Dustin and Chad Huff. They would all become world c…

Daytime swordfishing began in Venezuela when Aquiles Garcia and Captain Oscar Benito Marcano used a bag of rocks to get their bait down to where these prized fish swim in extreme depths during daylight hours. In 1997, on the La Guaira bank many Captains started to target these billfish with confidence. It wasn’t refined until two brothers, Richard …

Mitch Howell has had a very interesting life on and off the water. At a young age, Howell’s family was failing him so his grandparents took the helm and raised him. His world was coming at him in different directions very quickly. He would eventually find profound joy and success in fishing. It was one of our sport’s great heroes, Flip Pallot, who …

At 41 years of age, Jarad “Dingo” Boshammer, has been fishing the world for a very long time. He’s renowned now for having an acute sense for catching monster snook and tarpon guiding out of his 18 foot Chittum Skiff in Jupiter, Florida. But Florida is a long way from his roots. He was born into a heavy sport fishing family in Queensland, Australia…

Betsy Bullard has an amazing heart filled with the love of fishing, her friends, and the insatiable desire to save the Everglades. At a very young age, her father helped her catch her first fish that would eventually direct her empowering life in fishing. I first recognized her beauty when she worked many of the Key's Fly Tournaments as a weigh mas…

During the late 80’s, Capt. Ed Walker was one of my first guides in the fabled tarpon grounds of Homosassa where some of the largest megalops in the world were being caught on flies. Eddie, as I called him then, was much younger than I and possessed an innate ability to find and catch fish that many others couldn’t. He was a joy to fish with and we…

Chris Wittman grew up fishing every second he could. He never thought of becoming a fishing guide until he became one in 2000. This was the same year The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush and President Clinton, which was a financial engine that was designated to save the Everglades. Invaluable clean …

Kyle Holt is Taylor Creek Fly Shop’s head guide, whose favorite saying is "Fish Hard and Die Rich.” Having been raised in Springfield, Illinois, Kyle became heavily involved in fishing, hunting, and trapping the "flatlands" surrounding his home. As fortune would have it, Kyle's family decided to take regular vacations to Rocky Mountain National Par…

Dan Lahren was born in the great western town of Livingston, Montana in 1955. When he was in 7th grade the local fishing icon, Dan Bailey, gave him a fly rod which cemented his life long love affair with fishing and the local waters around the Yellowstone river. Between the ages of 3 and 10 his family traveled often and he found himself in eleven d…

David Denholm has had a voracious life in big game fishing. It all began when he caught his first Marlin when he was 12 years old. Denholm has traveled the world seeking the largest Swordfish, Marlin and Tuna, and at one time was one of the most prolific anglers in the the fabled Avalon Tuna Club of Santa Catalina Island. He has experienced first h…

Steve Herter is one of the most passionate people I’ve ever meet. Humorous, smart, adventurous, ingenious… Herter checks all the boxes. I’ve been in the elk woods with him and watched him empty the Yampa river with flies only Steve could design and tie. He is world class with everything he engages with. He has led one of the most varied and success…

Conway Bowman is known for many things, but for me he’s defined by passion. He’s crazy about his two boys, Max and Jackson, and his wife Michelle, who give him the base to seek out and pursue the unknown. He’s a fish hunter, and a good one that many people are aware of, specifically pioneering Mako shark fishing on fly in San Diego, minutes from hi…

It’s all Tom McGuane’s fault… He’s the culprit who gave Robert Redford the book! Redford loved it, and his film, “A River Runs Through It” indelibly changed everything about fly fishing. Most offensive has been the amount of people around the world we’re now seeing on every body of water. Good for them, actually. Fishing is one of the most importan…

Similar to many of our guests, Capt. Brandon Cyr is not only engaging and kind, he’s a giant of canny fisherman. And what does that exactly mean?Well, it means you know a fish's next move before it does. You know where you have to be 10 miles away with the perfect tide building in an hour. You can only understand these moves after you’ve dedicated …

Richard Black is that man that came a long as a young kid and changed what fishing greatness looked like. At 17, while still in school studying for his degree in marine biology, he had his captains license and was already out-fishing most of the seasoned professionals. His wow factor was real. Richard refined his craft at a blistering speed. His fi…

The greatest permit fisherman could possibly be a man you’ve never heard of. He’s a man that has caught over 260 permit by himself either out of his kayak or wading. Jay Grant never had the funds to hire guides or mentors. He dissected the tides and popular permit flats from Key Largo to the distant flats west of Key West all on his own. He has str…

Ian Slater is one of the most likable people you’ll ever meet. He grew up with a massive desire to win at whatever he pursued. His busy life eventually filtered down to hockey and fishing. It was an equal balance until his college years when he gave hockey everything, and a few years later a professional career became a reality. While playing for t…

In 1959 when Castro was on the eve of taking over Batista and the future of Cuba was unknown, Florida’s fishing intelligence would soon hit pay dirt. Over the next six decades many of our premier guides, anglers and commercial fishermen were descendants of the mass exodus from that small Island only ninety miles from Key West, including our guest t…

In 1953, Carl Hiaasen was born in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. A period of time when kids could hang out in wooded areas chasing things that kids chase. Many days were spent on bikes with fishing rods, well before the boom of growth. Their fun house would soon be transformed into parking lots and buildings, a solid reason for his irreverent thoughts. He…

Captain Steve Kilpatrick grew up with a cane pole and a .22… Hunting and fishing has always been his life. I first meet this likable man in the late 80’s when I was fishing the fabled flats of Homosassa. He has always been impressively kind, and when I called to talk to him about the day he and his angler Jim Holland jr. caught the 202.8 pound worl…

Av Mill House

I am always intrigued by the big blue water world and pelagic species that swim there and perhaps it’s because I am not an avid offshore guy. Sure, I know about the standard tactics, rigging, and the general vicinity on where to fish, but when you speak to someone as in tune as Ray is - the typical fish talk quickly escalates to something much more…

Dr. Lloyd Wruble is a successful, retired oral and facial surgeon by trade, and one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. He’s a soft spoken man with a passion for fishing, not just fishing, but backcountry, Everglades fishing in South Florida. He has fished the nooks and crannies of the Everglades for decades. It’s a labyrinthine waterway of cre…

Bill Bishop grew up the way we wished we all could, in the woods surrounded by nature, with a supporting, loving family. Over the course of his life, Turkeys and Tarpon would became paramount for his adventurous heart. His father had a lease where family and friends hunted deer and gobblers. At a young age it was soon obvious, Bill was born a hunte…

Huey Anthony Cregg hit it big in the early 80’s with his band named "Huey Lewis and The News." Many of their songs went large on the Billboard hits, but you can’t get any bigger than the bands #1, Grammy winning song, "The Heart of Rock and Roll!” In 1984, his “Sports” album was a number one seller, a year when Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson an…

Few have seen the evolution of tarpon fishing in the famous Boca Grande Pass as Frank Davis. In the early 1960’s, his family moved there and as far back as he can remember his Dad used to take him tarpon fishing. Pass fishing for tarpon began in the late 1880’s and by 1910 Boca Grande was booming. Over the next hundred and thirteen years Presidents…

Benny Blanco is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, but under his skin, his blood runs hot. In 2015, his life pivoted becoming a devout conservationists after Florida Bay lost over fifty thousand acres of his favorite fishing grounds. These grass flats were decimated by a large algae bloom cause by poor water quality and lack of fresh water.…

At 74 years young, George Copeland still has the fire in his belly to chase the snook tide late into the night. As a young man of 8, he found a passion that would drive him deep into the fishing abyss. On his bike, similar to Steve Huff, he'd race around Ft. Lauderdale looking for snook and tarpon that would regularly be found in Tarpon Bend, New R…

As a fifteen year old tenderfoot building boats, Ansil Saunders would’ve never believed he’d one day become a national hero. Stemmed from Scotland, his extended family of boat builders would eventually build the most sought after bonefish skiffs on an Island in the Bahamas. Five generations later, Bimini’s Saunders was not only working with local w…

At 49 years of age, Russell Kleppinger has found himself as one of the all time greats in the tarpon fishing world. He was consistently catching around a thousand tarpon a year before he stopped counting. Last year in 2022, he caught three fish over 200 pounds. (based on measurements) Fishing was all he can remember thinking about. When he was five…

Rick Ruoff's infectious personality could calm the roar of a lion. The first time I met this gregarious man, I knew instantly he was my kind of people. I'd see him every morning at the Lorelei restaurant similar to a seawall egret greeting everyone who passes. He's tall and lanky - always sporting a grin under a herculean mustache. Ego and vanity a…